Raja Ali Haji
Raja Ali Haji bin Raja Haji Ahmad (1808–1873) was a 19th-century Bugis-Malay historian, poet and scholar who wrote Tuhfal al-Nafis.[1][2] Haji has been described as one of the most important Malay writers of the 19th century.[3]
Also recorded as Raja Ali Haji bin Raja Haji Ahmad · Raja Ali Haji ibn Raja Ahmad
Raja Ali Haji
S.sarafian · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Nationality
- Dutch East Indies
- Occupation
- poet · historian · writer · scholar
- Known for
- Bustan al-Katibin · Syair Abdul Muluk · Tuhfat al-Nafis
- Honours
- National Hero of Indonesia
- Languages
- Malay
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Documentary summary
Raja Ali Haji bin Raja Haji Ahmad (1808–1873) was a 19th-century Bugis-Malay historian, poet and scholar who wrote Tuhfal al-Nafis.[1][2] Haji has been described as one of the most important Malay writers of the 19th century.[3]
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Note VALÉORINE
Raja Ali Haji (1808–1873) was a historian, poet and scholar, among other activities and a national of the Dutch East Indies. The historian was born and died in Penyengat Island.
Works include Bustan al-Katibin, Syair Abdul Muluk and Tuhfat al-Nafis. Languages used include Malay. Raja Ali Haji received National Hero of Indonesia.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 27 September 2026
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Authority files
gnd · 1029352879 · wikidata · Q7285389 · wikipedia · Raja Ali Haji
In this article
Early life
Early life
Raja Ali Haji was born in Selangor (although some sources stated that he was born in Penyengat)[4] in 1808 or 1809,[5] and was the son of Raja Ahmad, who was titled Engku Haji Tua after accomplishing the pilgrimage to Mecca. He was the grandson of Raja Haji Fisabilillah, the fourth Yang di-Pertuan Muda of Riau from 1777 to 1784. Fisabilillah was a scion of the royal house of Riau, who were descended from Bugis warriors who came to the region in the 18th century.[6] His mother, Encik Hamidah binti Malik was a cousin of his father and also of Bugis descent.[7] Raji Ali Haji soon relocated to Penyengat as an infant, where he grew up and received his education.[8]
Career
Career
He went on pilgrimage to Mecca in 1828 when he was 19 years old. Haji undertook a diverse education and he eventually became renowned for his learning. He was 32, Haji became a joint regent who helped administer Lingga for the young Sultan Mahmud Muzaffar Shah of the Riau-Lingga Sultanate. • Illustration — Raja Ali Haji on a 2019 stamp of Indonesia • Illustration — Raja Ali Haji's tomb on Penyengat Island.
Death
Death
Most sources stated that Raja Ali Haji died in 1872 at Penyengat Island in Riau, but the date of his death is debated as scattered evidences surfaced to oppose this claim. Among the best-known evidences was a letter written in 1872 when Raja Ali Haji wrote a letter to Herman Von De Wall, a Dutch cultural expert, who later died at Tanjung Pinang in 1873.[9] He was elevated to the status of National Hero of Indonesia in 2004.
Ancestry ==== Notable works ===== Poems =
Ancestry ==== Notable works ===== Poems =
• 1847: Syair Abdul Muluk (disputed) • 1847: Gurindam Dua Belas
Identity and origins
Identity and origins
The authorities additionally record the headings Raja Ali Haji bin Raja Haji Ahmad and Raja Ali Haji ibn Raja Ahmad. His recorded language was Malay. His recorded confession was Islam.
Identity
Identity
Raja Ali Haji is recorded as having received National Hero of Indonesia.
Raja Ali Haji
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1808
Raja Ali Haji born at Penyengat Island.
1873
Raja Ali Haji died at Penyengat Island.
Books
Books
• 1860s: Tuhfat al-Nafis (The Precious Gift) • 1865: Silsilah Melayu dan Bugis
Other writings
Other writings
• 1857: Bustan al-Kathibin • 1850s: Kitab Pengetahuan Bahasa (uncompleted) • 1857: Intizam Waza'if al-Malik • 1857: Thamarat al-Mahammah
Primary material
Documents and archives
reference work
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q7285389: Raja Ali Haji
Reputable secondary · Wikimedia Foundation
- “Raja Ali Haji”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
scholarly publication
authority file
- Gemeinsame Normdatei 1029352879, Raja Ali Haji.
Unverified · Deutsche Nationalbibliothek
Literature
Scholarly footprint
A count of publications is evidence of attention, not of standing, and is given here only as a measure.
References ==== External links
References ==== External links
• Tribute website to Raja Ali Haji • Raja Ali Haji, in Malay world
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Salleh, Siti Hawa Hj. Malay Literature of the 19th Century. ITBM. 136. 2010. 978-983-068-517-5.
- 2.Kelly Boyd (1999) Encyclopedia of Historians and Historical Writing. Taylor & Francis. pp. 23-24
- 3.Riddell, Peter G. Islam and the Malay-Indonesian World: Transmission and Responses. Hurst. 188–189. 2001. 978-1-85065-336-3.
- 4.Arya Ajisaka. Mengenal Pahlawan Indonesia. published by Kawan Pustaka. p. 219.
- 5.Ali al-Haji Riau, Virginia Matheson Hooker, Virginia Matheson, Barbara Watson Andaya (1982) The Precious Gift: Tuhfat Al-nafis. Oxford University Press. p. 5.
- 6.Ali al-Haji Riau, Virginia Matheson Hooker, Virginia Matheson, Barbara Watson Andaya (1982) The Precious Gift: Tuhfat Al-nafis. Oxford University Press. p. 277.
- 7.Stewart R. Sutherland (1988) The World's Religions. G.K. Hall. p. 42
- 8.Journal of the Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, 1994, p. 29
- 9.Timothy P. Barnard (2004) Contesting Malayness: Malay Identity Across Boundaries. NUS Press. p. 128
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
scholarly publication
THE QUALITIES OF LEADERSHIP AND THEIR EFFECT IN TUHFAT AL-NAFIS BY RAJA ALI HAJI, International Journal of Humanities, Philosophy and Language, 2021Crossref registry
Verifiedauthority file
Gemeinsame Normdatei 1029352879, Raja Ali Haji.Deutsche Nationalbibliothek
Partially resolvedreference work
Wikidata, structured authority record Q7285389: Raja Ali HajiWikimedia Foundation
Partially resolvedreference work
Partially resolved
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
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